Judy Garland - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Decca Records 1944) - YouTube Judy Garland - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Decca Records 1944) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 27, 2010 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. When presented with the original draft lyric, Garland, her co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing, and asked Martin to change the lyrics. Though he initially resisted, Martin made several changes to make the song more upbeat.

For example, the lines "It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past" became "Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight". Garland's version of the song, which was also released as a single by Decca Records, became popular among United States troops serving in World War II; her performance at the Hollywood Canteen brought many soldiers to tears. In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow". He told Martin, "The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?" Martin's new line was "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough". Martin made several other alterations, changing the song's focus to a celebration of present happiness, rather than anticipation of a better future. On The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special, Judy sings the song to her children Joey and Lorna Luft with Sinatra's alternate lyrics.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the Yule-tide gay our troubles will be miles away Here were are as in olden days happy golden days of yore Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more Through the years we all will be together If the Fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough And have yourself a merry little Christmas now Category Hugh Martin, composer of 'Trolley Song' and holiday classic, dies at 96 Hugh Martin, composer of 'Trolley Song' and holiday classic, dies at 96 PHOTOS Hugh Martin writes a vocal arrangement for "High Spirits" in 1963. (Family Photo) Hugh Martin writes a vocal arrangement for "High Spirits" in 1963.

(Family Photo) TOOLBOX Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, March 19, 2011; 2:52 AM Hugh Martin, a Broadway and film songwriter who composed three enduring classics introduced by Judy Garland, "The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," died March 11 at his home in Encinitas, Calif. He was 96. His niece, Suzanne Hanners, said a cause of death could not be determined. All three of Mr. Martin's best-known songs were featured in the 1944 MGM musical "Meet Me in St. Louis." In addition to being a showcase for Garland, the film was recognized for its sparkling score, which brought a fresh complexity to the Hollywood musical. The songs were credited to Mr. Martin and his musical partner, Ralph Blane, but in reality Mr. Martin wrote virtually all the songs in "Meet Me in St. Louis." "The Trolley Song," with its effervescent opening - "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley, ding, ding, ding went the bell!" - became a No. 1 hit and was nominated for an Academy Award as best song.

The bittersweet "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," with words and music by Mr. Martin, became a holiday classic, recorded by more than 500 artists. In the 1944 film, Garland sang it to her younger sister, played by Margaret O'Brien, as they were about to move away from their childhood home. Mr. Martin's original lyrics were decidedly bleak: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last. Next year we will be living in the past." Garland complained that the words were too depressing. At first, Mr. Martin was adamant about using his original words, but when other cast members and director Vincente Minnelli voiced objections, he relented and composed a new set of lyrics: Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on our troubles will be out of sight. In 1957, when Frank Sinatra recorded the song for a Christmas album, he asked Mr. Martin for further changes to "jolly it up." Mr.

Martin substituted "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough" for the next to the last line in the song, replacing the words sung by Garland: "Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow." CONTINUED 1 Hugh’s Music Hugh’s Music Photos Hugh’s Music Inspired by a picture of an antique trolley car from the Beverly Hills Library, Hugh Martin created the beloved show tune, The Trolley Song. The Trolley Song was featured in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis sung by vocal powerhouse, Judy Garland; and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. A talented lyricist, vocals arranger and coach, Martin has also written beloved songs The Boy Next Door and Pass That Peace Pipe, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song from the 1947 movie Good News. He has received four Tony Award nominations, three for High Spirits (Best Musical, Best Book Author of a Musical, Best Composer and Lyricist) and one for the 1990 Meet Me in St. Louis (Best Original Score). But perhaps his best known and highly recorded song is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

This seasonal classic has been recorded by over five hundred artists including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, The Jackson Five, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Lou Rawls and many, many more. It is widely considered one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time. Inspired by a picture of an antique trolley car from the Beverly Hills Library, Hugh Martin Hugh’s Music JUDY GARLAND: 'MEET ME IN ST LOUIS'. 'HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS' WITH SNOWMAN CLIP. - YouTube JUDY GARLAND: 'MEET ME IN ST LOUIS'. 'HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS' WITH SNOWMAN CLIP. Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Dec 11, 2009 Judy began work on 'Meet Me in St. Louis' when she was 21 years old.

It was during the filming of this movie that she became romantically involved with Vincente Minnelli. The movie was completed in April 1944, and released in St. Louis on November 22, 1944. It broke box-office records all over the country as not only Judy's greatest hit to date, but MGM's top money maker, second only to Gone with the Wind. Margaret O'Brien won an Oscar for her portrayal of Tootie, and 'The Trolley Song' was nominated for Best Song Academy Award. 'Meet Me in St. Louis' is one of the most beloved musicals ever made, and considered to be one of the best. Judy initially wanted nothing to do with 'Meet Me in St. Louis' because she was finally being given some adult roles, and she was concerned about being cast as a seventeen-year-old. Mayer was insistent, and Minnelli eventually convinced her to play the part. After she began working on the project, she became enchanted with the story and came to love it. Courtesy of: The original lyrics for 'Have Yourself A Merry little Christmas' ,written by Hugh Martin, were considered by many, including Judy, to be too depressing.

Although Martin resisted at first, he made the changes to the song ... & it is what we have today as a great American classic Christmas song. Original lyrics: Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last, Next year we may all be living in the past Have yourself a merry little Christmas, pop that champagne cork, Next year we will all be living in New York. No good times like the olden days, happy golden days of yore, Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more. But at least we all will be together, if the Fates allow, From now on we'll have to muddle through somehow. So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

I think we all understand why Judy wanted it changed: Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light Next year all our troubles will be out of sight Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the yule-tide gay Next year all our troubles will be miles away Once again as in olden days Happy golden days of yore Faithful friends who are dear to us Will be near to us once more Someday soon, we all will be together If the Fates allow Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow So have yourself a merry little Christmas now. *No copyright infringement intended* Hugh Martin | The Official Masterworks Broadway Site Hugh Martin Search American musical theater and film composer, lyricist, arranger, singer, vocal coach, and playwright Hugh Martin (b. Birmingham, AL, 11 August 1914; d. Encinitas, CA, 11 March 2011) was best known for his score for the classic 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, and its three hit songs, “The Boy Next Door,” “The Trolley Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland.

The last-named of these is considered one of the greatest traditional Christmas songs of all time. His “Pass That Peace Pipe” from the 1947 film Good News was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Original Song, and on Broadway he received four Tony Award® nominations, three for his score to High Spirits (1964), and one for Meet Me in St. Louis, which was not adapted for the stage until 1989. Martin began studying music at age five at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music, and originally planned to be a classical singer and pianist, majoring in music at Birmingham Southern College. But then he discovered the works of George Gershwin; “Rhapsody in Blue changed my life,” he later recalled in the liner notes for Michael Feinstein’s 1995 album, The Hugh Martin Songbook. “It was Gershwin and Kern and Arlen. Those three were my top-echelon people.” By 1937 Hugh Martin was singing on Broadway in a Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg musical called Hooray for What!

The orchestrations were by Don Walker, Kay Thompson was coaching the singers, and Martin himself was contributing to the effort as a vocal arranger. In the singing ensemble was a young songwriter named Ralph Blane with whom Martin soon set up an unusually loose but resilient collaboration: each of them would write, independently of one another, both words and music to a song, then get together to combine their efforts. They made a compact to share the credit for everything they produced. After another appearance in a non-musical play, Martin wrote a letter to Richard Rodgers discussing the finer points of arranging for Broadway, apparently convincing Rodgers of his credentials, enough so that the composer invited him to arrange “Sing for Your Supper” for The Boys from Syracuse (Rodgers & Hart, 1938). Martin received credit for vocal arrangements for four more Broadway shows (including Too Many Girls and Cole Porter’s Du Barry Was a Lady, both 1939) before appearing with his vocal quartet, “The Martins,” which included Blane, in Louisiana Purchase (1940) with Vera Zorina and Victor Moore.

Best Foot Forward (1941, “Buckle Down, Winsocki”) was the first Broadway show with words and music entirely by Martin and Blane. Produced and directed by George Abbott and starring June Allyson, Tommy Dix, and Nancy Walker in her Broadway debut, it enjoyed a respectable 326 performances and was made into a movie starring Lucille Ball in 1943. This took Martin and Blane to Hollywood, where MGM gave them the opportunity for their greatest collaboration of all time: Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland. Out of its three equally deserving hits, “The Trolley Song” (“Zing, zing, zing, went my heartstrings”) was nominated for an Academy Award® as the year’s Best Original Song. (When Martin published his autobiography, Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door in 2010, he revealed that although he kept his promise to share credit with Blane, in fact he had written all three of the hit songs – including “The Boy Next Door” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – by himself.

Blane could not riposte, having died in 1995.) Martin and Blane followed their success in 1945 with a score for Abbott and Costello in Hollywood, and with the song “Love” for Lena Horne to sing in the film Ziegfield Follies. Martin enlisted in the Army infantry near the end of World War II and was assigned to the European theater, where, as a new-minted star, he was found to be most useful to the Allied forces as an entertainer. Returning to Hollywood after the war, he and Blane, with the collaboration of Roger Edens, turned out another musical film score for Good News (1947); one of the songs, “Pass That Peace Pipe,” won them a second Oscar® nomination. In 1947 Hugh Martin was back on Broadway; his arrangement with Ralph Blane, who remained in Hollywood, was apparently on hiatus. Aside from doing vocal arrangements for Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947), a short-lived Heaven on Earth (1948), and As the Girls Go (1948), he was the sole composer and lyricist for Look, Ma, I’m Dancin’!

(1948), conceived and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, directed by George Abbott, and starring Harold Lang and Nancy Walker. The vocal direction and arrangements for Jule Styne’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), starring Carol Channing, were by Hugh Martin, as were the music and lyrics to Make a Wish (1951), which ran for 102 performances. He also contributed to Top Banana (1951), which won a Tony Award® for Phil Silvers, and did vocal arrangements for Hazel Flagg (1953). For eight months in 1951–52 Hugh Martin was Judy Garland’s piano accompanist in a vaudeville-style “two-a-day” show at the Palace in New York City. The two became fast friends and their performances remain legendary, even in Martin’s own estimation: “When I played for Judy, that’s the best thing I ever did.” He also served as Eddie Fisher’s accompanist at the Palladium in London.

Martin again collaborated with Ralph Blane on Hollywood musicals in the ’50s, though not much of an impression was made by any of them: Athena (1954) starring Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, and Steve Reeves; The Girl Rush (1955) starring Rosalind Russell, Fernando Lamas and Eddie Albert; and The Girl Most Likely (1958) starring Jane Powell. During this period the partners recorded an album of their best songs, Martin and Blane Sing Martin and Blane, with the Ralph Burns Orchestra. Alone, Martin wrote songs for a 1958 television musical on Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates. In 1964 Martin worked with a new collaborator, Timothy Gray, writing the book, music, and lyrics to High Spirits, a new Broadway musical based on Noel Coward’s beloved play Blithe Spirit. The show brought them three nominations for Tony Awards®: Best Musical, Best Author of a Musical, and Best Composer and Lyricist.

Martin “retired” to Encinitas, California, in the early 1970s, but remained a presence on Broadway, making vocal arrangements for Lorelei (1974), Good News (1974), and Sugar Babies (1979) starring Mickey Rooney. His songs from Look, Ma, I’m Dancin’! were revived in 1989 in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and a stage version of Meet Me in St. Louis arrived at long last in 1989, bringing Martin and Blane a nomination for a Tony Award®, Best Original Score. Hugh Martin became a Seventh-day Adventist in the mid-1970s and spent much of the following decade touring as accompanist to gospel vocalist Del Delker. He rewrote the lyrics to his most famous song in 2001 as “Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas,” and recorded it with Delker that same year.

In its original form, “A Merry Little Christmas” has been recorded by more than five hundred artists, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, The Jackson Five, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, and Lou Rawls. In 1995 Martin accompanied vocalist Michael Feinstein (and also sang a duet) on a CD album, Michael Feinstein Sings The Hugh Martin Songbook. Then in 2006, an album collection, Hugh Sings Martin, of material from Martin’s career since 1940, most of it not originally intended for commercial release, rounded out a seven-volume Library of Congress series chronicling classic American songwriters. The tracks, taken from Martin’s own archives, include performances by The Martins (the vocal quartet of his youth), demo recordings, radio air checks, and a 2005 rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Martin at the age of 90. A collection, The Songs of Hugh Martin, was published by Hal Leonard Publishing in 2008.

He finally got around to finishing and publishing his memoirs in October 2010, Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door. Martin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, and was also a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. – Lucy E. Cross The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' : NPR The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' Embed Embed The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' Embed Embed Enlarge this image Judy Garland (center) starred in the 1944 movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis. She sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to her sister, played by Margaret O'Brien, who was upset that her father wants to move the family to New York City. The Kobal Collection hide caption toggle caption The Kobal Collection Judy Garland (center) starred in the 1944 movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis. She sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to her sister, played by Margaret O'Brien, who was upset that her father wants to move the family to New York City.

The Kobal Collection Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door By Hugh Martin Read an Excerpt Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine wrote the classic song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for Judy Garland's 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis, along with dozens of other songs for MGM and Broadway musicals. In 1989, Martin and Blaine, who has since died, joined Terry Gross for a discussion about their lives and the story of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which has since been recorded by scores of musicians — including Tori Amos , Garth Brooks, Robert Goulet, Lady Antebellum, James Taylor and Bob Dylan , to name just a few — in the past 65 years. The song "began with the melody," Martin said. "I found a little madrigal-like tune that I liked but couldn't make work, so I played with it for two or three days and then threw it in the wastebasket." Luckily, Blaine had heard the tune, too — and told Martin it was too good to throw away. "We dug around the wastebasket and found it," Blaine recalled.

"Thank the Lord we found it." With the melody saved, the two men started working on the words. But the first draft was too sad, and Judy Garland asked for a revision. Article continues after sponsorship "The [film producers] said, 'No, no — it's a sad scene, but we want sort of an upbeat song, which will make it even sadder if she's smiling through her tears," Martin said. "Then we wrote the one you know in the movie." Martin details what it was like to work with Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly, among others, in his new memoir The Boy Next Door. He also wrote the music for the Broadway productions Best Foot Forward; Look Ma, I'm Dancin'; and the stage version of Meet Me in St. Louis. Interview Highlights From Hugh Martin's 2006 Interview On Fresh Air On The Original Version Of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' "The original version was so lugubrious that Judy Garland refused to sing it.

She said, 'If I sing that, little Margaret will cry and they'll think I'm a monster.' So I was young then and kind of arrogant, and I said, 'Well, I'm sorry you don't like it, Judy, but that's the way it is, and I don't really want to write a new lyric.' But Tom Drake, who played the boy next door, took me aside and said, 'Hugh, you've got to finish it. It's really a great song potentially, and I think you'll be sorry if you don't do it.' So I went home and I wrote the version that's in the movie." Twisted Sister - 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' YouTube On The Many Covers Of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" "The strangest version [I heard] was by a group called Twisted Sister. My all-time favorite versions are from the olden days. Judy Garland , of course, [was] always tops with me. And Mel Torme , who wrote a beautiful new verse for it, was really out of this world. And Frank Sinatra , you can't beat 'Mr.

Blue Eyes.' " On His Favorite Christmas Memory "My favorite Christmas memory was of being 6 or 7 years old, and my mother decorating the tree. And she was a very artistic woman, and she did sensational Christmas trees, so it was a real joy every year when she would decorate it, and it was a very wonderful moment. That was my favorite Christmas memory." On How He Views Christmas Today "I'm really upset by Christmas now. I just hate Santa Claus and the jingle bells and reindeer and the wrapped packages and the holiday push. I hate all of that. I just loved it when it was, well, all my life ago, 90 years ago." Excerpt: 'The Boy Next Door' November 18, 20101:54 PM ET Hugh Martin Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door By Hugh Martin Chapter 1 The Palace I wasn't born in a trunk, but I did become a show biz junkie early in life, before ever glimpsing Broadway or Hollywood. In addition to a natural attraction to it, I had a theater-loving mother who regularly left home, hearth, husband, and Birmingham, Alabama, for New York City, starting when I was two years old.

Then there was Variety. Our public library didn't carry the magazine of show business, but a local newsstand did. Lucky for me, the news dealer was a friendly soul who didn't object to a customer browsing for hours. I discovered Variety the year I entered junior high, and I was never the same after that. It introduced me to glamour, glitz, and glorious Technicolor, a welcome world to a dreamy youngster growing up in a city built around iron furnaces and steel mills. According to Variety, the sanctum sanctorum of the entertainment world was the Palace Theater on the corner of 47th Street and Broadway. I lay in bed innumerable nights with visions of the Palace dancing in my head. These dreams never included my being on stage at the Palace, merely being a spectator. Yet, twenty-two years later, on the night of October 16, 1951, I found myself, to my astonishment, in a tuxedo, on the stage of the Palace at a nine-foot Steinway accompanying headliner Judy Garland as she sang these lyrics by Roger Edens: "I've played the State, The Capitol, But people said "Don't stop.

Until you've played the Palace, You haven't played the top." For years I had it preached to me And drummed into my head: "Unless you've played the Palace, You might as well be dead." A team of hoofers was the headline At the Majestic down in Dallas, But they canceled the day Their agent called to say, "You can open the bill at the Palace." So it became the Hall of Fame, The Mecca of the trade; When you had played the Palace, You knew that you were made. So I hope you'll understand my wondrous thrill, "Cause vaudeville's back at the Palace, And I'm on the bill!" The improbable events that led to this fantasy-come-true started in the fall of 1951. I was living in New York and happened on an announcement in one of the papers that the Palace, after many inglorious years, was planning to re-open on a two-a-day basis with an old-time vaudeville show headed by Judy Garland. I have never been an opening night freak, but I adored Judy, had written the songs for one of her movies, Meet Me in St.

Louis, and thought to myself, "This is one opening night I'd like to attend." Someone tipped me off that she was staying at the Waldorf, so I phoned her, hoping I wasn't being a nuisance. She was cordial as could be, so I screwed up my courage and asked if it would be possible to get a couple of house seats for the première. "I have a better idea," she said without missing a beat. "Sitting in the audience is so ordinary. Why don't you sit on stage with me?" Hugh: Judy, you shouldn't kid an old friend. Judy: I'm not kidding, I felt a little light-headed. Hugh: Isn't Roger coming east to play for you? Judy: He can't, he's in production with something for Arthur and they're right in the thick of it. Roger was Roger Edens, her long-time and brilliant mentor; Arthur was Arthur Freed, MGM's top producer of musical films. Hugh: Are you serious? Judy: Never more so. I know you're terribly busy, but it's only for three weeks. I would so love it if you would. Hugh: How much will I have to pay you? She laughed that marvelous Judy Garland laugh.

Judy: I'll talk to Sid about it. Sid Luft was her manager and soon-to-be third husband. I liked him immediately. That was a watershed moment in Judy's career at a time when she felt threatened and rejected. Sid thought the time was ripe for her to get away from the cameras and back to her roots: vaudeville, the medium in which she had made her dèbut at age two singing "Jingle Bells." His first project for her was the London Palladium. He contacted the bookers, and he and Judy were gratified at the immediate interest. The British had always deeply loved her, and her four weeks there quickly sold out. What next? Sid felt it had to be the New York Palace. Judy and Mickey Rooney, in their early juvenile "Let's put on a show!" movies, never stopped talking about playing the Palace, so what was more logical? The deal was set, and Roger Edens started writing an act for her. Old friends from MGM expressed a desire to help in any way possible; Chuck Walters agreed to stage the act and Irene Sharaff to costume it.

After I came on board, I was flown to Hollywood to observe the fruits of everyone's labors, and especially to be coached by Roger on how my piano accompaniments could bring out the best in Judy vocally. Early in October we assembled at the Palace to start rehearsing. It was a larger then usual company for a vaudeville act because Judy had brought along seven male dancers from California. Most of them had worked with her in the "Get Happy" number in Summer Stock. There were other acts on the bill as well, so dressing rooms were at a premium. I ended up in a little cubicle so high up in the flies that it made me dizzy to look down. When Judy learned that my dressing room was practically in another building, she was annoyed at the management. "That's crazy," she said, "and insulting to Hughie. Sid, go ask Sol Schwartz if he can fix it for Hugh's room to be next to mine." Sid told her that the dressing-room situation was tight and that there was no chance that mine could be moved. She was disappointed. "I know," she said suddenly. "Hugh, look at this little annex in my room. I'll never use it.

Is it big enough for you to dress in?" "Well, sure," I said, "but what about your privacy? There's no door." She thought a minute. "What if we hung a sheet between us? Remember Clark and Claudette in It Happened One Night?" I glanced at Sid. No frown. Good. "Sounds fine to me," I said. Sid told me later when we were alone that it helped solve one of his greatest problems—Judy's insecurity. In my opinion and that of many others, Judy Garland was the greatest entertainer in the history of modern show business. But try to tell her that! In 1951 she felt like a failure, having just been fired by MGM, the only career home she had ever known. Perfectionist that she was, she often felt dissatisfied with her singing. Most devastating of all for a woman, when she looked into her mirror, she saw someone disturbingly older than her Esther in Meet Me in St. Louis. More about the Palace later. Excerpted from The Boy Next Door by Hugh Martin. Copyright 2010 by Hugh Martin. Excerpted by permission of Trolley Press.

Hugh Martin - Bhamwiki Hugh Martin Jump to: navigation , search Hugh Martin Hugh Martin, Jr (born August 11 , 1914 in Birmingham ; died March 11 , 2011 in Encinitas, California) was a theater and film composer and pianist, best remembered for his score for Meet Me In St Louis, which included "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Contents 7 External links Early life and career Martin was the son of architect Hugh Martin , partner in Miller, Martin & Lewis Architects . He began studying piano at the age of five, and studied at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music and Birmingham-Southern College . After hearing the music of Gershwin, though, he set his sights on popular song and moved to New York in the mid 1930s. Before long he found employment as an arranger and performer, helping score music for Cole Porter's DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), and Vernon Duke's Cabin in the Sky (1940) and singing in Hooray for What? in 1937.

He formed a vocal quartet which he called "The Martins", one of whom was Ralph Blane, who, with Martin, arranged most of their songs. The Martins appeared on radio programs and as a group in Irving Berlin's Louisiana Purchase (1940). A year later, Rodgers and Abbot chose Martin and Blane to create the songs for their musical Best Foot Forward, starring Nancy Walker. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas In 1943 Martin and Blane were hired by MGM to work in films as songwriters and vocal coaches. Their first assignment was to write three songs for the 1944 musical, Meet Me in St Louis, which featured Judy Garland singing, "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song", and the now-classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". In the film, Judy Garland sings the latter song to her sister, expressing her feelings about the family being uprooted to New York. As first written, the song had a bitter tone, starting out "Have yourself a merry little Christmas/It may be your last/Next year we may all be living in the past..." Garland requested that the lyrics be rewritten to alleviate some of the bitterness.

The revised version, used in the film, went "Have yourself a merry little Christmas/Let your heart be light/From now on our troubles will be out of sight..." Just before Meet Me in St Louis was released, Martin enlisted in the Army and was sent to Europe. When officers learned that he was the composer of the latest hit song, they transferred him into a music unit. His original company went on to suffer heavy casualties at the Battle of the Bulge. In 1954 , Frank Sinatra planned to record the song for his album A Jolly Christmas and asked for an even lighter version of the lyrics. Martin, visiting Birmingham at the time, worked through the problem while walking down Highland Avenue . It was while looking up at the trees there that he composed the last line, "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ranks "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as the 6th most recorded holiday song of all time. The song was written while Martin was staying in the Hugh Martin Cottage in Birmingham's Southside where, incidentally, some years later a gallery named Agnes would reside for a while.

Martin senior built this cottage for his wife's honeymoon but because her aunt and mother lived in the area, she would not move across the mountain to a lovely new house that Martin had designed and built for her so she ended up staying in Southside and raising her children in the honeymoon cottage. The Hugh Martin Cottage is now an Historic Landmark in the city. Film successes For MGM, Martin created musical arrangements for Girl Crazy, Broadway Rhythm, and Presenting Lily Mars, and wrote songs for Ziegfield Follies (1945), Good News (1947) and The Girl Rush (1955). Martin's other Broadway scores include "Look Ma, I'm Dancin'" (1948), "Make a Wish" (1951), "High Spirits" (1964), and the London version of "Love from Judy". Martin and Blane were twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song, for "The Trolley Song" in 1944, and, along with Roger Edens, for "Pass the Peace Pipe" from Good News.

In 1956 the writing duo recorded an album of their own songs, "Martin and Blane Sing Martin and Blane" with the Ralph Burns Orchestra. After "Meet Me in St Louis" Martin became a close friend of Garland's and accompanied her at many of her concert performances in the 1950's including her legendary stint at the Palace . He also accompanied Eddie Fisher at the Palladium. In 1964 Martin teamed with Timothy Gray to produce the hit musical High Spirits based on Noel Coward's Blithe Spirits. He served as music director for the 1979 hit Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney. Religious conversion In 1960 , Martin suffered a nervous breakdown and turned to his faith for support. 14 years later he was in the hospital again, sharing a room with a Seventh Day Adventist. He joined the Adventist Church and discovered gospel singer Del Delker on the Adventist radio ministry "Voice of Prophecy". He set out for Newbury Park, California with the idea of becoming her accompanist. By chance, she soon needed a new accompanist and Martin got his wish.

He spent much of the 1980's with Delker on revival tours, eventually becoming part of the speaking program as well. In 1975 he met Elaine Harrison, a fellow church member, who became a lifetime friend and confidante. In 2001 he rewrote his most famous song one more time (with the assistance of John Fricke) as a more specifically religious number, "Have Yourself A Blessed Little Christmas" which was recorded that year by Delker with Martin on piano. Martin remained involved with the world of musical theater through the early 21st century. He re-arranged music for the stage version of "Meet Me in St Louis" in 1989 and collaborated with vocalist Michael Feinstein for a 1995 CD "Michael Feinstein Sings the Hugh Martin Songbook", an album on which the then 80-year-old songwriter accompied Feinstein on piano and sang a duet. In 2004 he composed a new opening number for "Best Foot Forward"'s revival by the York Theatre in New York.

Hugh Martin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2001 . He resided at the home of Fred and Elaine Harrison in Encinitas, California. He spent seventeen years working on a memoir, Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door , which was published in 2010 . Martin died in March 2011 . Publications Martin, Hugh (2010) Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door. Trolley Press ISBN 9780615365077 References Shaw, Erin (December 1999) "'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' was a merry little challenge." Birmingham Post-Herald.

Rogers, Wendi (December 14, 2005) " Culture: 'Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas,' Composer Hugh Martin and Singer Del Delker Recollect ." Adventist News Network - accessed December 21, 2006 Harvey, Alec (October 24, 2010) "Birmingham native Hugh Martin writes the book on his storied composing career." Birmingham News Harvey, Alec (March 11, 2011) "Hugh Martin, Birmingham-born composer of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' has died." Birmingham News External links Obituary: Hugh Martin Jr. dies at 96; 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' songwriter - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections → News Hugh Martin Jr. dies at 96; 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' songwriter The composer, lyricist and arranger also created 'The Boy Next Door' and 'The Trolley Song.' All three were sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical 'Meet Me in St. Louis.' Martin shared credits with Ralph Blane.

March 13, 2011 |Claire Noland, Los Angeles Times Hugh Martin Jr. is seen in 1963 writing the score for the Tony-nominated… Hugh Martin Jr., a composer, lyricist and arranger who created the enduring standards "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song" sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical "Meet Me in St. Louis," has died. He was 96. Martin, who collaborated in an unusual partnership with Ralph Blane on Broadway and in film, died of natural causes Friday at home in Encinitas, north of San Diego, said his niece Suzanne Hanners. The two men shared songwriting credits for "Meet Me in St. Louis," which is set at the turn of the 20th century and follows a Midwestern family on the verge of moving to New York City. Garland lit up the screen with her renditions of "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" (which was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song) and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." But the melancholy Christmas lyrics Garland sang in the film were not the ones Martin originally wrote.

His first lines were even darker. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last," went the original. "Next year we may all be living in the past," followed by "Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more." A studio executive suggested lightening the lyrics, saying, "It's OK for it to be bittersweet and nostalgic, but it shouldn't be a dirge." So Martin went back to work, revising the lines: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light; next year all our troubles will be out of sight." Released during World War II, the film and its signature songs struck a chord with moviegoers. "The audience comes to care deeply about these people and their story," Miles Kreuger, president of the Los Angeles-based Institute of the American Musical, said in an interview Saturday. "The score very subtly and successfully captures the essence of what these characters are thinking and feeling, so the audience is immediately drawn to the integrity of the songs.... "Now years later ['Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'] still is so emotionally sensitive and so valid that people are deeply moved by it.

It's a masterpiece." Then, in 1957, Frank Sinatra was making recordings for a holiday album to be called "A Jolly Christmas" and asked Martin to "jolly up" his song. So to substitute for "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow," he came up with "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough." Sinatra's version helped lift "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" into the ranks of cherished holidays classics. It has since been recorded by hundreds of performers, including Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, James Taylor and the Pretenders. Although Martin and Blane shared writing credits in the 1940s, they worked independently. "Ralph and I both wrote music, and we both wrote lyrics," Martin once explained. "Almost always, each of us wrote songs unassisted by the other and simply pooled our work." In his 2010 autobiography, "Hugh Martin, The Boy Next Door," he maintained that he wrote the songs for "Meet Me in St. Louis" on his own. For another of Garland's signature films, 1954's "A Star Is Born," Martin served as vocal director and arranger.

He also accompanied Garland on piano during her solo show at New York's Palace Theatre in 1951. Martin and Blane met in the late 1930s as performers singing in Broadway musicals. Martin was making a name for himself as a vocal arranger for Broadway shows when the duo got the chance to write words and music for "Best Foot Forward" in 1941. That brought them to the attention of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, which signed them to write for the movies. After finishing "Meet Me in St. Louis," Martin served in the Army, performing for troops in Europe. He returned to Hollywood after the war and received another Oscar nomination along with Blane and Roger Edens for the song "Pass That Peace Pipe" from 1947's "Good News." Martin continued to write and arrange for both film and stage productions, including the Tony-nominated "High Spirits" (1964). He and Blane teamed up again for a 1989 Broadway revival of "Meet Me in St. Louis," writing several new songs. Blane died in 1995. Martin was born Aug.

11, 1914, in Birmingham, Ala., and learned to play piano at age 5. He attended Birmingham Southern College before moving to New York. He never married and retired to Encinitas in the 1970s. Martin is survived by his brother, Gordon, of Birmingham; as well as nieces and nephews, and his longtime manager and caretaker, Elaine Harrison of Encinitas. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” | Yule Laugh, Yule Cry: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Beloved Holiday Songs | TIME.com Yule Laugh, Yule Cry: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Beloved Holiday Songs By Wook Kim Dec. 14, 2012 MGM Judy Garland sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," in a scene from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). The original lyrics for this lovely holiday song—written for the 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis—were too depressing for the movie’s famous star and director. A wonderful movie classic, Meet Me in St. Louis tells the story of a close-knit family living in St.

Louis in the early 1900s. The family is devastated when the father announces that they will soon be moving to New York City—the news hitting his daughters especially hard. In a memorable scene towards the end of the film, Esther (played by Judy Garland, five years after The Wizard of Oz) tries to console her younger sister Tootie (Margaret O’Brien) with a song. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was supposed to paint a picture of fragile hope and optimism. Hugh Martin wrote the song and his first attempt concerned both Garland and the movie’s director (and her future husband) Vincente Minelli: they found the words much too depressing and asked him to rewrite a few lyrics. Martin balked, but eventually relented. There’s a mournful tone in the version we know and love, but one tempered by the we’ll-get-through-this-together line about finding the strength “to muddle through” adversity. Click on this link to read a terrific article about the sad and strange history of the song.

Question: Which 1944 musical film featured the song 'Have Yourselves A Merry Little Christmas'?
Answer: 'MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS'